Closure member for tube ends



July 14, 1953 P. D. BECKER CLOSURE MEMBER FOR TUBE ENDS Filed June 9, 1950 \Nv-ENTOR: Pmu D. BECKER,

4 BY 'mlzm AGENT.

Patented July 14, 1 953 2,644,978 o osUn MEMBER FOR TUBE nuns Philip D. Becker, Hingham, Mass., assignor to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 9, 1950, Serial No. 167,130

This invention relates generally to closure members and has particular reference to a plastic glide member for assembly into the end of ;a tubular furniture leg.

The objectof the invention is to" provide an improved closure member formed ofa synthetic organic plastic which is adapted fo the end of a tubular member. f

A further object of the invention is to-provide a glide which is formed of asingle piece of molded synthetic organic plastic, which is adaptedfor assembly into the end of a tubular furniture leg to support the leg, in which theglide has means for frictional engagement with-the tube wall:

A still further object of the invention is to provide a plastic glide member havingan outer tubeenclosing portion and a center guide portion to initially enter the tube for positioning-the glide relative to the tubeto enable the end of the tube to enter the tube-enclosing portion.

Another object of the'invention is to provide a glide member formed of synthetic organic plastic which is'adapted for insertion into a tube for frictional engagement therewith, in which the, glide member is provided with. portions which are adapted to be sheared off by: the tube when the glide is'assembled therein.

Other objects of the invention will, in part,.be obvious, and will, in part, appear hereinafter. For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which: I

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation of a plastic glide member embodying the features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of of Fig. 1

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation, partly in section, of the glide member during assembly onto a tubular member;

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation, partly in section, of the glide member taken on line 44 of Fig. 5 completely assembled on a tubular member; and

Fig. 5 is a view in section, taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Referring to the drawing, there is illustrated a glide member [0, which is adapted for insertion into the end of a tubular member l2, for frictional engagement with the wall M of the tubular member.

The tubular member l2 may be the end of the leg of an article of furniture or the like (not shown) in which case the glide I0 is adapted to bear against the floor to support the leg.

the glide member r assembly into 4 Claims. (Cl. 1642),

The glide I0 is preferably formed of a single piece of molded synthetic organic plastic, and comprises a base I 6, a central tube entering guide portion l8';disposed in the base and extending upwardly therefrom, and a peripheral tube-enclosing portion 20 disposed on the base about the guide portion in spaced relation thereto to form an annularchannel 22 to receive the end of the tube wall l4 when the glide is assembled.

The central guide portion [8 in the illustrated embodiment is substantially higher than the tube-enclosing portion 20, and comprises a cylindrical portion 24, having a series of longitudinal ribs 26 disposed in the outer surface thereof. The ribs 26 are preferably outwardly rounded, and increasethe overall diameter of the guide portion I8 a predetermined amount, so that said overall diameter is greater than the internal diameter of the tube [2 into which the glide is to be .inserted, for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

The tube-enclosing portion 20 comprises anupwardly extending wall portion 28, which is integral with the base, and is tapered inwardly at the upper portion to terminate in a thin edge 3!! whichis adapted to fit closely about the outer periphery of the tube l2 to improve the-appearanceof the assembly. The wall portion 28 is preferably slightly flexible radially, and the inner surface thereof has a diameter which is substantially equal to, or only slightly less than the outsidediameterof the tube [2 so as to provide friction'al engagement therebetween when the glide is assembled.

The method of assembly of the glide onto the leg I2 is illustrated in Fig. 3. The guide portion I8 is inserted into the end of the tube, and since the overall diameter of the guide portion is greater than the internal diameter of the tube,

the outermostportion of the ribs 26 are sheared 1 off by the wall 14 as the glide is forced into the tube, which forms a sheared surface 32 for tight frictional engagement with the inner surface of the tube wall. 7

Since the center guide portion [8 extends upwardly from the base, a greater distance than the tube-enclosing portion 20, the guide portion l8 will extend a substantial distance into the tube before the tube wall 14 enters the annular channel 22. This insures that the glide is properly positioned in the tube so that the wall M will enter the channel'22 without damagin the thin edge 30 of the tube-enclosin portion. When the end of the tube wall is seated against the base I6, it is frictionally engaged on both the outer and inner surfaces by the glide, thereby insuring that,

3 the glide will be securely retained in assembly with the tube.

Since plastic materials suitable for forming the glide have a coefiicient of expansion substantially greater than metal, changes in the surrounding temperature will cause a considerable difference in the amount of expansion of the glide and the tube. However, since the glide engages the tube both inside and outside, an increase in temperature will cause the center guide portion to engage the inner surface of the tube more tightly, whereas a decrease in temperature will cause the tubeenclosing portion to engage the outer surface; of the tube more tightly, thereby eliminating the possibility of loosening of the glide by temperature changes.

The lide may be formed of many different varieties of synthetic organic plastics, either thermosetting or thermoplastic. Materials which have been found especially adapted for this use are resins formed of ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, polyamide resins, vinyl resins, and methyl methacrylate.

Since certain obvious changes may be made in the device without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained herein be interpreted in an illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

I claim:

1. A glide member for assembly into the end of a tubular furniture leg or the like, said member being formed of a single piece of relatively rigid molded synthetic organic plastic, and comprising a base, a tubular guide portion extending upwardly from the base, said guide portion having a series of outwardly extending tube-engaging members disposed longitudinally on the wall thereof for frictional engagement with the inner surface of the tube, a peripheral tube-enclosin portion disposed about the center guide portion, said tube-enclosing portion being adapted toenage frictionally the outer surface of the tube, said tubular guide portion being substantially higher than said tube-enclosing portion, and said tube-engaging members being spaced from the inner surface of said tube-enclosing portion a distance less than the thickness of the wall-of the tubular furniture leg.

2. A closure member for insertion into the end of a tube, said member being formed of a relatively rigid synthetic organic plastic and comprising a base, a tube-entering guide portion extending upwardly from the base, said guide portion being tubular and having a series of circumferentially spaced longitudinal rib portions disposed thereon for frictional engagement with the interior surface of the tube, a peripheral lip portion disposed on the base about the guide portion in spaced relation thereto, said lip portion being adapted to engage frictionally the outer surface of the tube, and said rib portion bein spaced from the tube-engaging surface of the lip portion a dis- :arbice less than the thickness of the wall of the 3. In a closure-assembly, for a support having anopening therein of a predetermined size, a closurememberfor insertion into the opening, said member being formed of a relatively rigid synthetic organic plastic, and comprising a base, anupwardlyextending tubular member disposed on the basewith circumferentially spaced longitudinal rib portions disposed thereon, said tubular member being of a smaller diameter than thesupport opening, and the outer surfaces of said rib portions defining a circumference of a diameter exceeding thatof the support opening.

4.-In aglide assembly, for a hollow tubular support leg having an internal opening of a predetermined size, a glide member formed of a relativelyrigid synthetic organic plastic and com- References Cited in=theflle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 870,770 Fuller Nov. 12, 1907 1,806,945 -Kuster1e May 26, 1931 1,937,438 Schacht Nov. 28, 1933 2,120,806 Keuflel June 14, 1938 2,266,270 Roth. Dec. 16, 1941 2,416,069 Scott Feb. 18, 1947 2,546,492 Booth 1Mar. 27, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 9,734 Great-Britain of 1911 34,830 Sweden Oct. 4, 1911 France July 13, 1933 

